News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-01-27
LIFE AMONG THE WENDS.
REMNANTS OF AN ANCIENT Ma
TION IN NORTH GERMANY.
Both Sexes TiIIing the FieIds-MaI.
ing Their Own Clothing and Fur
niture--W Weddings and Funerals.

Both Sexes TiIIing the FieIds-Maks
ing Their Own Clothing and Fur
Weddings and Funerals.
The Wends are the remnant, number
ing altogether 140,O 900, of an ancient
Slavonic nation, surviving in few dis
tricts of North Germany, partly in Lusa-
tia, providence of the Kingdom of Sax
ony, and partly of the Prussian province
of Brandenburg, especially in the Spree
wald, forty or fifty miles southeast of
Berlin. The Spreewald is level region
of woodlands and marsh-meadows, in
tersected by many winding branches of
the river Spree, which are traversed in
punts; and Berlin correspondent, who
with a companion enjoyed a few weeks
sojourn in that district has furnished US
with sketches of the people. They are
industrious, frugal and comparatively
wealthy peasants, retaining their national
costume, manners, habits and language;
but were friendly and hospitable to their
visitors, and could speak German, which
is taught in the schools. Around Burg,
one of the largest villages, the Raupen
or farmhouses are substantial build
ings, whitewashed and matched,
the roofs having often high ga
bles, ornamented with crossed and
carved beams, and there is sometimes a
wooden gallery outside the house.
Formerly a carved figure of horses
head, which had some NEUROLOGICAL
significance in half-pagan times, was
frequent decoration of the roof-beams.
On tho grass-plot in front, where the
homespun linen is spread for bleaching.
a large fir tree is usually growing; the
river close by is crossed by a raised foot
bridge with stepladder at each end, and
with a single hand rail, while the puuts
arc tied up at the landing place. The
little garden is bright with red peonies
and white guelder roses. Some hamlets
are built on small islands, the shores OF
which are protected by stakes and beams
at the waters edge. Thd Wendish men
and women are seen working in their
own fields, each peasant owning,
| perhaps, twenty acres, cultivated
by the labor of himself and his
family. Being SO thrifty, and
buying scarcely anything except gro
ceries, making their own clothing and
wooden furniture, they save good deal
of money. Every year the family will
salt down or cure two sheep and two
pigs for winter consumption; four or
five stall-fed cows provide their milk and
butter; there is poultry in the yard and
fruit and vegetables in the garden.
| Wood is obtained from the forest that
| belongs to the local community, and
peat is found in abundance. Their crops
and cattle are chiefly for their own con-
sumption. They grow their own fax,
which is spun by the girls in merry win
ter evening parties, finishing with song
and dance; and some of their homespun
wool is exchanged at the neighboring
town for wool dyed of bright colors,
from which they weave the stuff of their
splendid holiday and Sunday dresses. =
A Wendish young lady wears a scarlet
petticoat edged with black, with yellow
seams up the plaits, wide, clean apron,
black velvet corslet, across which is
folded bright handkerchief of yellow
and red pattern, and a starched white
head dress of imposing shape. The
wedding of bride who had a dowry of
$50, 900 thalers was a grand affair; the
women appeared in bright silk head
dresses with tremendous stiff ruffs of the
Elizabethan style around their faces, lace
neckerchiefs, velvet bodices and gorgeous
silk aprons over the heavy skirts of en-
broidered cloth The bride wore
myrtle wreath around her head, and car
uGT ldCG NCll III uCE udllS Oll lCdN
the church The Wendish household is
comfortable; there is large tiled stove
in the sitting-room, with settee around
it, and a bench goes all around the room;
in the window, behind white curtains,
are Rots of flowers; the bedroom is snug
and the huge feather bed is only too soft,
but the bed linen is clean and fresh;
large chests are filled with clothes for all
occasions, neatly folded and scented with
lavender. Different dresses, skirts,
scarves and caps are worn by Wendish
lady at church, at the Communion SER
vice, at wedding or festival and in
| private life; she viii have, perhaps, fif-
teen to eighteen dresses, each worth fifty
to sixty thalers, but they last her life
time. In going to funeral, the women,
over their black garments, put on long
white shrouds, looking like ghosts; a
boat filled with such mourners was
rowed silently down the river, and with a
bereaved mother intently gazing on her
little child's coffin, dccked with black
cross and wreaths of white flowers.
These simple Wendish folk who live SO
peacefully not far from the great capital
of Prussia will probably be Germanized
before many years more have passed, and
their picturesque peculiarities will no
longer be seen on the banks of the Spree.